Service dogs are dogs that are trained to perform tasks that alleviate the disabilities of people with severe disabilities. Psychiatric service dogs perform tasks to help people with psychiatric disorders, including depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorders, and schizophrenia. Isaac service dog I have post-traumatic stress disorder and he does a lot of work to help me. The specific services of a psychiatric service dog depend on the needs of the person the dog is helping.
Medication Warnings
Psychiatric service dogs often remind people to take their medication. One person I know tends to forget to take his daily medication and so his service reminds him to take his catapotium every day at sunrise and sunset. I usually remember to take my own medicine, but sometimes when I have an anxiety attack, I can’t think clearly and then I forget to take the medicine, which will relieve my anxiety. Isaac brings me my medicine when he starts having anxiety, which reminds me to take it.
Interrupting Compulsive Birth
Dogs can be trained to interrupt compulsive behaviors such as hair pulling (trichotillomania). or reading to the skin (dermatillomania). When I’m very anxious, I tend to pick at my skin, especially picking an itch. My service is dog training to start clapping my hand when I start picking my skin. leaning on his hand, he will continue, insisting more and more, until I stop.
If something is hallucination or real
People with conditions similar to schizophrenia may have hallucinations. Psychiatric service dogs can be trained to help people determine if something is a hallucination or if it is real. Dogs can be trained to greet people in command. If a person thinks he sees someone coming into the room, he can give his dog the job of greeting the person. If it is really a hallucination, the dog does not greet her. But the dog will see something confused, and will know that the owner of the dog is hallucinating him.
Other functions
Psychiatric service dogs can perform many other tasks, depending on the needs of the person with the disability. For example, my service dog turns on the lights for me because my PTSD makes me afraid to go into a dark room. My service dog is also set up to move in circles around me so that I can do something around me if I am in a crowded place and people are too close to me. I know someone who sometimes has anxiety in public places, like stores, and when it happens, his service dog leads her to the exit so she can calm down outside, where it’s not so crowded. These are just a few of the other tasks that psychiatric service dogs are trained to perform.
I accept the motion
Dogs provide emotional support for many conditions such as depression and anxiety disorders. Simply petting a dog or spending time with a dog can relax and take someone’s mind off their troubles. However, this is not a task that a dog should be trained to do, so psychiatric service dogs must do other things to help people with disabilities. Just providing emotional support is not enough.
Strengthens physical activity
Dogs also encourage their owners to exercise more because dogs need to go for regular walks. For years my doctors and therapists encouraged me to exercise more, but I didn’t actually do it until I got my service dog. Isaac loves to go for long walks and now I take him for two or three 20 or 30 minute walks every day. However, dog walking dog walking does not need to be trained to do psychiatric work dogs. others to help people with disabilities.
Sources:
Central Dog Office http://www.servicedogcentral.org/content/node/77. What Tasks Do Psychiatric Service Dogs Perform?
Psychiatric Service Dog Society. http://www.psychdog.org/tasks.html. Psychiatric Service Dog Work and Tasks.
